Native American Heritage Month Celebrated

The City Council recognized Native American Heritage Month at this week's Council meeting. The City of Cloverdale is proud to honor the history and contributions of Indigenous Americans in our community, throughout our state, and nation.

The Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians includes nearly 500 members, who are descendants of the indigenous people from the Cloverdale area and lived in and around Cloverdale for many centuries. City Council declared November 2022 as Native American Heritage Month in Cloverdale while encouraging all citizens to learn about and celebrate together the rich traditions, languages, and many contributions of Native Americans.

Sonoma County Veterans Building Illuminated in Green in Support of National Veterans Awareness

To honor veterans across the nation, the Sonoma County Administration Center and several other government buildings will be illuminated with green lights from Nov. 7 to Nov. 13 as part of Operation Green Light, a public awareness campaign in observation of National Veterans Awareness Week.

Supervisor Gore stated, “Sonoma County is grateful to our local veterans and their families, who have made immense sacrifices and endured significant stress for our safety and security,” said James Gore, chair of the Board of Supervisors.

“Operation Green Light is a symbolic action that signals to veterans that Sonoma County sees you, that your contributions matter, and we will continue working at every level to ensure access to the support you need.”

https://fb.watch/gJlTWip19o/

Learn more: Sonoma County campus to be illuminated green in support of National Veterans Awareness Week

For more information about Sonoma County’s Operation Green Light for Veterans, or for information about services for Sonoma County veterans and loved ones, please call (707) 565-5960, email vso@schsd.org or visit:

https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/health-and-human-services/human-services/divisions-and-services/adult-and-aging/veterans-service-office.

Veterans and family members may also visit the Sonoma County Veterans Service office in person, located at 3725 Westwind Blvd, Santa Rosa 95402. Hours of operation are Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Annual Maintenance of City’s Sewer Collection System Scheduled to Begin in November

The City of Cloverdale is preparing to initiate the Annual Maintenance program for the City of Cloverdale’s sewer collection system. As part of the City’s annual infrastructure management, the City conducts point repairs and rehabilitates existing sewer mains through a process referred to as slip lining. Slip lining is a method of installing a thermal plastic liner within existing sewer mains by winching or pushing a new pipe through the existing pipe, grouting the annular space between the two pipes and sealing the ends (see picture). The Thermal plastic liner extends the useful life of a deteriorated pipeline and prevents infiltration of groundwater. The installation of thermal plastic liner is a less costly alternative to complete replacement of underground piping and does not involve the extensive disturbance of streets and neighboring residential areas.

On October 12th, the City Council approved an annual Maintenance Services Agreement with Miksis Services, Inc. (MSI) to provide sewer maintenance/rehabilitation The Project scope consists of lining existing sewer mains at various locations, trim back protruding laterals, providing traffic controls, and by-pass pumping when needed. All work will be performed during the current fiscal year (fy 2022-23). MSI is licensed to perform this work, insured in accordance with City requirements and will perform the work at prevailing wage rates. The cost of the repair work for the current fiscal year is $ 185,662.00. The project cost if paid for through rate revenue collected from wastewater customers. Over the last three years, the city has conducted point repairs and slip lining on over 5,000 linear feet of existing underground sewer lines.

Parks Update

Parks staff continue to perform Winter projects throughout City Parks, Open Spaces and L&L Districts. Various facility maintenance tasks were completed this week. During the rainy season, calendared maintenance repairs and upkeep are addressed indoors to work around the wet weather condition when possible. This time around several picnic tables from the Second Street City Park were brought in to the shop for some rehabilitation. This includes removing all staples and nails, sanding all uneven surfaces and adding all new hardware for better stabilization of the table.

Winter tree pruning was completed at the L&L District The Cottages. The effort started from Pepperwood down to Ranch House Road. A total of 21 mature Northern Red Oaks were pruned to ISA standards, accumulating 80 yards of brush. This type of event helps prevent excess leaf drop, improved accessibility identifying damaged branches as well as aesthetics.

In preparation for the holiday season, parks staff performed light pruning on the focal Christmas tree located at our downtown plaza near the stage. The Colorado Blue Spruce tree is a slow grower that can grow to be 50’-75’. Shaping the tree is critical to keep the tree at a manageable size. Several yards of redwood wood chips were added around the base of the tree as well as an application of slow-release fertilizer.

Trail maintenance continued at the Porterfield Creek Preserve. Several sections of the Andiamo trail were cleared of debris that were encroaching the trail. Most of the work had to do with the high wind conditions and rain, stronger weather patterns are known to take a toll at this altitude.

The Northern Sonoma Fire Fuels Crew will be returning to the Porterfield Creek Preserve for a few extra days beginning this Saturday the 12th and will continue through Wednesday the 16th. The purpose of this scheduled effort is to consolidate all of the vegetation into piles to make for an easier burn day in the near future. Hours of work are 7:30am-3:00pm daily. The staging and work area will be sectioned off as inaccessible to the public during the work. Closure signage will be visible at the Welcome Bridge with arrows diverting hikers left, up the Tank Trail. The other closure sign will be on the bridge at the intersection of the Preserve Trail and the 3 Bridges Trail, with arrows also providing alternate routes. Burn dates are TBD and will be dictated by fire personnel and weather conditions. Prior notification to the public will be made when dates have been determined.

Prescribed Pile-burning Operations at Cloverdale River Park

Sonoma County Regional Parks, in collaboration with Cloverdale Fire Protection District and CAL FIRE, is planning to conduct prescribed pile burns at Cloverdale River Park on Thursday, November 10th.

Woody material from the wildfires that occurred in the park this last summer were thinned and piled by Regional Parks’ staff over the last several months. The pile burn will begin on the morning of the 10th and continue throughout the day. Fire agencies will provide fire engines and crews to manage the burning process, and Regional Parks staff will work in collaboration with the fire agencies.

Cloverdale River Park will remain open, and park users may see or smell smoke in the area during the burn. Some areas may be closed for public safety. Those areas that are closed will be posted with closure signs.

The Cloverdale Police Department issued a Community Alert via Nixle regarding the prescribed burning activity. For more information, see the alert: https://nixle.us/E384Z

For more information on how Regional Parks uses low-intensity prescribed fire as a landscape management tool, visit Prescribed Fire (ca.gov).

Draft Housing Element Update Now Available

The City of Cloverdale is in the process of updating the Housing Element of the City’s General Plan to ensure that the City is prepared to meet the future housing needs of Cloverdale. Under State law, every City and County in California is required to update its Housing Element to address specific requirements and submit the element to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

The Housing Element serves as Cloverdale’s blueprint for meeting the housing needs of current and future residents at all economic levels including those with unique or specific housing needs.

The Draft Housing Element Update is now available for public review from October 27 to November 27, 2022. Comments may be submitted to CloverdaleHousingElement@4leafinc.com or mailed/delivered to Cloverdale City Hall (124 N. Cloverdale Blvd) by Sunday, November 27.

Participation from the community is vital to ensure that Cloverdale’s values are identified and articulated in the Housing Element, and that the City’s approach provides the best fit for the community’s goals, values and priorities. Public comment received on the Draft Housing Element will be incorporated into the Final Adopted Housing Element submitted to the state for review and anticipated for adoption in early 2023.

Cloverdale Public Review Draft Housing Element Update

Cloverdale Public Review Draft Technical Background Report

Turn Off Irrigation to Save Water

As we move into colder weather, remember to turn off your irrigation system! Watering your lawn and plants now is a waste of drinking water because they have gone dormant. The winter season is an excellent time to learn about indoor and outdoor water-saving techniques. This winter, there will be workshops to teach you how to harvest rainwater for the spring season.

Looking for educational possibilities?

In-Person Installation Workshop with Daily Acts (Sunday, November 20, 2022 from 10am-1pm): Register here
Did you know that carbon gardening can help slow climate change in your own backyard? Daily Acts and the Russian River Watershed Association have teamed up to show you Carbon Gardens: A Dirt Simple Solution to Climate Change
Check out the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership's events page for other local events and webinars, and subscribe to the E-News for quarterly updates.

Visit the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership website for water-saving tips and tools. Try the Water Smart Plant Picker page, which includes a list of Water Smart Nurseries as well as a searchable database of plants that thrive in our Mediterranean climate. These nurseries label low water use plants, making it simple to find water-saving plants.

Water Supply Update - Drought is Still Here. Save Water!

The drought is still here. Water supply levels at Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma remain at historic lows. Water is a resource that our community shares, and it is critical that we all continue to protect and conserve this valuable resource. The City of Cloverdale and its partners in the Sonoma Marin Saving Water Partnership (SMSWP) urge our community to keep up the great work and effort – water saved now, is water we can use later. For water saving tips and programs you can take advantage of to conserve water and save money, visit SavingWaterPartnership.org.

Sonoma County continues to experience drought conditions Sonoma County is designated as being in Severe Drought with some area designated as being in Extreme Drought by the U.S Drought Monitor. Read about drought condition in Sonoma County.
Visit the California Water Watch website and enter your address to see how much rainfall your local area has received to date.
View Current Water Supply Levels for Lake Pillsbury, Lake Mendocino, and Lake Sonoma Here
Conservation requirements are still in place in the City of Cloverdale. Residents are encouraged to continue using water wisely and eliminate water wasting activities. Learn more water saving tips at savingwaterpartnership.org
The statewide Save Our Water conservation campaign at SaveOurWater.com also provides simple ways to reduce water use in their everyday lives.
The water reservoir storage level in Lake Mendocino is currently 68.1% of the Target Water Supply Curve (see graphic below).

Vouchers Help Landscapers Switch to Zero-Emission Equipment

Qualified small business landscape professionals can purchase discounted zero-emission landscaping equipment through a new category of funding offered through the California Air Resources Board’s Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE).

“Now widely available, this new cleaner, quieter equipment eliminates exposure to harmful fumes for the professionals operating these machines, and for anyone nearby,” said Sydney Vergis, chief of CARB’s Mobile Source Control Division. “The CORE project incentive funds will help get more zero-emission equipment into the hands of landscape professionals — while also helping California meet its clean air and climate goals.”

Equipment purchasers can request vouchers for edgers, trimmers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, mowers and other landscaping equipment. Learn more about the program on the CORE website.

Funds to Strengthen Your House Foundation

Get up to $3,000 Toward an Earthquake Retrofit
Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) helps homeowners lessen the potential for damage during an earthquake. EBB offers a grant of up to $3,000 toward a seismic retrofit for qualifying older houses.

In addition to the $3,000 grant, EBB is introducing a new grant specifically for low-income homeowners (income up to $72,080 per household), as funding permits. EBB has helped California homeowners complete seismic retrofits!

About the EBB Retrofit

Is your house earthquake ready?

In a brace + bolt retrofit, the foundation is bolted to the frame of the house, and if there is a crawl space (or cripple wall), it is braced with plywood or OSB sheathing. This helps prevent the house from sliding or toppling off its foundation during an earthquake.

Read More About the Retrofit

Register for the EBB Program

Is your house earthquake ready?

Registration is open! Sign up now for a chance to get a $3,000 earthquake retrofit grant. Qualifying homeowners are selected through a random drawing and are then notified if they have been selected, or have been placed on the waiting list. Registration is only open for a limited period of time once per year, so register today!

Library to Open on Sundays

Next stop after Sunday brunch? The Sonoma County Library! Starting November 6, all regional Sonoma County Library branches will be open on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Come by and enjoy the afternoon at your local library, where you can use free WiFi, browse the shelves, meet up with friends or read the Sunday paper.

“This is another step in making our libraries more accessible to more people,” said Erika Thibault, Interim Library Director for the countywide library system. “Being open seven days a week at most libraries makes it easier for busy families to use their free public library.”

Expanded Sunday hours are made possible by the Measure Y sales tax, the community’s investment in free public libraries. The Measure Y Sales tax, a one-eighth of one cent sales tax, was approved in November 2016 to increase revenue for Sonoma County’s historically underfunded library system. Sonoma County Library has been increasing library services every year since—expanding hours, opening a new Roseland Regional Library, hiring staff, purchasing materials, upgrading technology, refreshing library buildings and offering exciting new classes, events, and programs.

For more information on Sonoma County Library’s new Sunday hours, visit sonomalibrary.org/sundays. To find the library location nearest to where you live, work or shop, visit sonomalibrary.org/locations.

Meeting Notices and Schedule:

Public Works & Facilities Subcommittee

The Public Works & Facilities Subcommittee is scheduled next week on November 16, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. The meeting will be in person at the City Hall Conference Room. The meeting will also be held virtually through the use of Zoom at: www.zoom.us/join or dialing by phone - 1 669 900 6833 using Webinar ID: 853 0963 6066 or directly at: https://us02web.zoom.us/s/85309636066. The agenda has been posted to the Agenda Center

Subcommittee Meeting Schedules:

Finance, Administration & Police - Next Meeting: December 5, 2022
Planning & Sustainability - Next Meeting: December 20, 2022
Public Works & Facilities - Next Meeting: November 16, 2022 (changed date)
Joint City/Cloverdale Unified School District - Next Meeting: November 14, 2022
Homelessness Community Advisory Group - Next Meeting: December 13, 2022

Regional Board Meetings:

Sonoma Clean Power - December 1, 2022
RCPA/SCTA Board of Directors Meeting - December 12, 2022
Sonoma County Library Commission - December 7, 2022
Northern Sonoma County Air District Board Meeting - December 14, 2022

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Special Events:

ADU Tours - November 19 and 30

The nonprofit Napa Sonoma ADU Center is partnering with 13 different accessory dwelling unit designers, architects, prefab companies and finance professionals to bring you FOUR free in-person ADU events in the City of Napa throughout November. There will be three different prefab ADUs open for tours on-site (and they vary in size from 150 square feet to 740 square feet)!

PLUS there will be multiple designers, architects, and finance professionals present to answer your ADU questions, along with Napa Sonoma ADU Center staff and local Napa city and county Housing, Planning & Building department staff who, believe it or not, are very eager to meet homeowners in-person and help you kickstart your ADU project.

Now is the time to move from thought to action on your ADU to set yourself up to break ground by building season in early spring! Come on out and meet with the ADU experts and professionals ready to help you get started. Click here for the event flier for the in-person events and to RSVP today!

You’re Invited: Ask Us Anything ADU Webinar | Wed, Nov 2 @ 11:30 am | Register here

Come meet up virtually with the nonprofit Napa Sonoma ADU Center's ADU Expert Scott and Director Renée Schomp on Wednesday, November 2 @ 11:30 am to ask them your burning questions about ADUs or just for some moral support to get kickstarted on your build! The nonprofit is ready to get into real talk about the tough questions: How much does it cost? Do ADU projects pencil out in this market? How much are ADU permit fees? And much more. Click here to register today!

Winter Festival

The Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce is presenting the annual Winter Festival & Fiesta Navidena in Downtown Cloverdale on Friday, December 2nd. Downtown businesses will be open to holiday shoppers. Gingerbread cookie decorating for the kids, hot chocolate, hot cider and donuts hosted by the Cloverdale Lions Club. Holiday tree lighting for the holiday season. Santa will be downtown to listen to kids’ holiday wish lists.